Recently, a few cases of kidnap phone scams where money was transferred were reported. Kidnap phone scams are designed to ‘scare’ the victims into parting with their money to ensure the safety of their family members.
2. The culprit would usually claim that he has kidnapped the victim’s child and demands for ransom before the child is released. These fake threats may be accompanied by sounds of cries for help in the background. In some instances, the phone would be passed to an accomplice who poses as the “kidnapped” family member, crying for help. The scammers will not allow their victims to end the call to check with their loved ones if they are alright.
3. Members of public are advised to be aware and vigilant of these scams and adopt the following prevention measures:
- Attempt to verify the authenticity of the caller’s claim by asking him questions to verify the identity of the purportedly kidnapped victim, for instance, the number of family members staying together or whether there are pets in the house;
- Remain calm and end the call. Contact your loved one immediately to confirm his or her safety. Should repeated attempts at contacting him or her fail, seek assistance from the police immediately;
- Do not reveal your particulars to the culprits;
- Do not transfer any money via remittance agencies, banks or any other means to the culprits; and
- Even if you have confirmed that your loved-one is safe, call the police immediately at ‘999’ to report the case.
4. Please call the Police hotline at 1800 - 255 0000 if you have any information on the above crimes or dial ‘999’ if urgent Police assistance is required.
ORIGINAL SOURCE
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